Miguel speaks mind, offends many

There is much to be said for being honest, for speaking one’s mind, for making it clear how one feels on any given issue. But then there are the repercussions.Singer Miguel knows plenty about that because a comment he made about African Americans still has people talking in the Black community, usually unfavorably.Miguel (full name: Miguel Jontel Pimentel; his mother is Black, his father is Mexican) stirred up a hornet’s nest a few weeks ago when he said boldly, “I’m proud of my heritage, but honestly, Black people are the most judgmental people in the world.”The validity of that statement could be debated for the next 50 years — and most believe it’s not true — but the lack of wisdom shown by Miguel is unquestionable.Next time he might want to consider keeping certain kinds of thoughts to himself. As the old saying goes, “Some things are better left unsaid.”Miguel had also been in the news for his performance at the Billboard Music Awards. He fell into the audience, injuring a woman, as a result of attempting to make a leap from the stage over the people seated in front. It has been reported that the young woman might file a lawsuit.Miguel signed with Jive Records in 2007. However, his debut album, “All I Want Is You,” could not be released because he had violated a contract he had previously signed with a smaller company.The album was released two years later, in November 2010. It started off slow, then took off, spending 45 weeks on the national Billboard 200 chart. His second album, “Kaleidoscope Dream,” came out in October 2012. It, too, was successful.By this time Jive Records had been shut down and Miguel had been shifted to RCA Records.Miguel is also an accomplished songwriter and producer. He made contributions to Usher’s albums “Here I Stand” and “Raymond v. Raymond.”